I write movies, TV, and theater. You don't have to be a jerk to make it in Hollywood. Promise.

PSH

Years ago, I saw Philip Seymour Hoffman doing a Q&A after Capote. When asked about his reputation for being “difficult” on set, he talked about how most people wake up in the morning, put on their armor, and go out to face the world while keeping their private selves private.But his job is to be private…in public. And that’s just not easy.

It’s something we take for granted. We marvel at someone’s brilliance, the way they can reveal something truthful and authentic about the human condition. But what’s the cost of doing that every day? What’s the cost of making a living being private in public? We’ll never know for sure.

We can only feel the sadness for an artist gone to soon, and thank him for letting us inside his private self, if only for a short time.